The environmental effect of economy globalization has become a rising concerned and controversial topic these days. The environmentalists criticize that the economy globalization is one major factor that imposes the environmental problems, while the advocates of globalization disagree, who believe that it is the globalizing process helps the diffusion of environmental-friendly technologies that resolve the environmental damage (Frankel 1). Hence this essay will examine whether economy globalization should be to partly blame for the environmental damage today, with both theoretical and practical support, and to provide a view that economy globalization does worsen the environmental problems, although in an indirect approach. At the same time the process has also helped to resolve the environmental issues, but may still lack effectiveness and intensity facing the severity of the problems.

Nowadays human beings are facing a “destruction of nature and wildlife” with huge resource consumption, for instance, the over exploitation of water, air and soil (Conserve Energy Future 1). The environmental damage has become increasingly close to us, like acid rain, Global Warming due to Green House Gas (GHG) emission, the agricultural pollution runoff, and the PH 2.5 event in China, which claims an urgent conditions for us and our next generations. Some scholars argue that these damage largely come form the increasing economy globalization process that refers a process by which all of the nations and citizens around the globe are experiencing a more and more common environment of economy, and it will further lead to a common culture and society (Osland, 1).

Firstly, some scholars have pointed out that the economy globalization has making it easier to transfer pollution because of rising income level, which mainly from developed countries to developing countries (Cho et al 1). The high-income level in developed countries has stimulated a desire among citizens for improving their living standards and so does the environment quality, and hence it causes a pollution transfer trend from developed countries to developing countries. This is because in developing countries the pollution constraints are less with an aim to attract foreign investment and economic development. And the economic globalization makes this transfer more easily.

Secondly, some scholars argue that the globalization and international trade have increased the transport volumes and so as the transportation pollution emission (Loïc 112). The production and consumption can happen anywhere within the fast, active and mature globalization supply and demand network. As Loïc (112) proposes that climate change is a major environmental issue facing us today, and the CO2 emission of transport is a main contributor to the global warming. The international production and consumption routines have burdened the emission more with not only domestic transport but also international airlines and shipments. The airfreight is according to Loïc to be “responsible for 4-9% of total GHG emissions released into the atmosphere”. However, the green energy technologies today are still not enough to relieve the environmental impact of a 3% annual increase in shipping (113).

On the other side, some scholars point out that maybe some of the globalization effects on environment have been exaggerated as most of the issues just stay locally rather than globally, and domestic means of transport (cars and trucks etc) still remains the major polluted means of transport, and hence people shall not sole blame globalization for the pollution emission (Loïc 113). To resolve this problem, people shall not try to reduce the aviation and shipment overseas, but focus on the study of clean energy substitutions such as electric and hybrid cars.

Thirdly, the economy globalization has intensify the competition of scarce natural resources that triggers the developing nations to export resources, and it could possibly lead to an inappropriate deploy way when exploring resources (Runnalls 17). For instance, the African countries could achieve an impressive economic growth through exportation of oil, while they neglect the sink problem of soil. Although some may say this is a local specific problem that may not represent the whole globe, the severe environmental damage all comes from a regional environmental degradation gradually.

Scholars also argue that economic globalization makes it incredibly difficult for different nations to just deal with environmental issues with their own national rules. This is because today most of the environmental problems are no long staying at a state level, but have across over boarders and escaping out of the system that is designed to govern them (Zimmerer 11). Besides, the rules may adversely affect the nation’s attractiveness for foreign investment and trade, especially for the developing countries, which further slows countries’ steps towards environmental rules. But to be noticed, today there have been a rising number of international institutes that help to govern the environmental issues around the world, especially focus on the developing world, which is also beneficial from the globalization process of knowledge.

In contrast, although globalization has caused environmental problems indirectly, it can also act as part of environmental solutions. Economic globalization has further help to spread the environmental-friendly technologies through different countries faster (Runnalls 8). Developing countries like China and India are just experiencing the same stage that developed countries have already experienced, but they can obtain the same green technology as developed countries with lower costs, and lesser the pollution emission (22). With a popular demand for clean energy and products, the push of green technology can spread quickly among the globalization production network. Today, large multinationals also put recognized efforts in dealing with their polluted plantations in developing countries, for example, to set up high-tech recycling equipment for waste reduction (Boyce 110).

Considering the above different point of views, economy globalization should be partly to blame for the environmental problems today despite in an indirect way, as economic globalization has made the pollution transfer more easily and conduct more pollution emission, and further impose difficulties in regulations globally. Although people may over emphasize the effects of international transport pollution and the local pollution, the real environmental problems still exist and would be possibly worsen as global environmental damage. Additionally, economic globalization stimulates the capital transfer that is used to invent new green technology and so to preserve the environment. The economic globalization also further facilitates the international institutes to help govern the environmental damage all over the world. But it still lack of sufficient improvements due to a complexity and severity of the past centuries damage. Therefore the economic globalization should be to partly blame for today’s environmental issues, acting as both indirect causes and part of solutions.